Morning
by Lady Scarlet-Une
Summary: 6x9. Love hurts.


**Morning**

a songfic inspired by Diana Ross's "Touch me in the Morning"

by Lady Scarlet-Une

They stared at each other from opposite sides of the room.

"So it's really over?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, Noin. I'm...sorry."

"Sorry," she echoed wanly. 

Noin broke eye contact as she slowly sank down to the carpet. Fingering the soft fibers, she stared blankly at the wall to Zech's right. "Why, Zechs?" she finally asked. Her bright eyes met his. "Don't you now how much I love you?" Her voice rose. "Don't you know how long I've wanted US to happen, how happy I was? How happy WE were?"

His expression was pained as he ran his hands through his hair. "I know, Noin, God I know. It was hard for me to make this decision, hell, to even consider it. But...," he gestured vaguely with his right hand, "I don't have anything left, Noin," he finished quietly. "We both assumed that once everything was out of the way and all my walls were down, I'd have an endless amount of love to give away."

"But you don't," she whispered.

"No, I don't. I gave you all I had, Noin. There's nothing left to love you with now."

The silence lengthened as Noin tried to find her voice around her tight throat. Stifling a strangled gasp, she jumped up and made her way towards the bedroom door. Zechs grabbed her arm as she passed by.

"Noin, where are you going?" His low voice had enough of a panicked edge to stop her.

"Out. To think."

"But Noin - "

"Let me go, Zechs," she cried as she wiped tears away with the back of one hand. "Everything's falling apart now, everything that's important to me...to us. Just let me go for awhile, Zechs."

"But that's.." He abruptly trailed off in mid-sentence and dropped her arm. "I'll be here when you get back."

She nodded curtly. "That's more than I expected." Wrenching the door open, she ran out of the house into the cool Martian air.

In the two hours Noin was gone, Zechs slowly packed and reflected. He left the mementos and pictures where they were. He had no need for reminders of his dead love. The guilt alone would be enough. Slowly but surely, the small house was emptied of his personal touch till only two suitcases remained. Noin walked back in just as he was zipping them up. He looked at her expectantly, but she said nothing. She stared at his bags instead.

"So soon?" she asked softly. He reached for her hand, but she quickly hid it behind her back and side-stepped his touch.

"There's no need to prolong the pain, Noin. It's just better if I left," he replied quietly.

Silence. "Of course," she eventually replied. With an unnatural air of calm about her, she walked past him to the dresser and picked up a small photo of the two of them. She stared at it intently for several moments before suddenly whirling around. The frame hit the wall beside Zech's head and smashed into pieces. Breathing heavily, she stalked across the room and slapped him hard across the face.

"That was for us, Zechs," she whispered tersely, a catch in her voice. She looked straight into his eyes. Noticing the hurt there, her face softened. Gently tilting his head, she kissed the angry red spot on his cheek.

"That's for you, Zechs. I still love you despite everything." She wrapped her arms around his chest and placed her head in the crook of his neck. Hesitantly, he raised his arms and placed them around her. He kissed the top of her head.

"And what about you, Noin? What do you get?" he asked quietly.

'I want you.' 

"Stay till morning," she whispered. "Please Zechs."

He shook his head. "Noin, that only complicates things."

She raised her head and cupped his cheek. "Please stay, Zechs. Give me this last night. It's all I'm asking of you. It's all I need. Please."

He hesitated before nodding his head. "Alright."

"Thank you." Grasping his chin in her hand, she tilted his head and kissed him softly on the lips. "Just for tonight," she whispered.

"Tonight."

Neither fell asleep that night. Holding one another tightly, they watched the sky slowly lighten through the window. As the shadows dissipated, a beam of sunlight began to crawl towards their bed. Noin clutched Zech's hand tighter and closed her eyes.

'No, please, don't go, Zechs. Don't leave me alone.'

The light was halfway across the bed when Zechs finally let her go. Eyes closed and head resting on her knees, she listed as he pushed aside the sheets, stood up, and got dressed. The dread that had been steadily building erupted into full-blown anguish when his hand caressed her cheek once more. For the last time. 

She opened her eyes and met his.

"I love you."

"I know," he replied sadly. Stooping down, he gently kissed her. "I wish I could say the same."

His hand dropped and he moved away. A chill ran down her body, and Noin inadvertently shivered. Picking up his suitcases, Zechs walked towards the door. Knob in hand, he paused and glanced back at her still form.

"Goodbye, Noin."

She swallowed and tried to smile. "Goodbye, Zechs," she whispered.

Within moments, he was out the door and gone. 

Noin sat still and listened as he closed the front door and started up his car. Only after he'd driven away did she fall back onto the bed. Burying her face in the sheets, she breathed deeply and savored his scent.

'Zechs.'

Wrapping the sheets tighter around her, she closed her eyes to the morning sunlight and cried.

  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yea, it's all very random and almost PWP. I was inspired by the song. The song is quite excellent in that bittersweet sort of way. Hope y'all liked it. ^_^

~LS-U


End file.
